This invention relates to temporary scaffolding used, for example, in the construction industry, and more particularly to a safety guard rail for conventional scaffolding arranged to obstruct the open spaces between the scaffolding side cross braces in order to prevent persons working on the scaffolding from inadvertently falling therethrough.
In typical scaffold constructions, two spaced apart upright members are secured in proper upright position by side cross braces, and floor boards are extended between uprights and set upon supports provided on each upright so that workmen can stand and work on the stable, elevated, temporary flooring. However, it has been experienced that workers can, for one reason or another, fall through the unprotected open space between the floor and the crossed braces on the sides of the scaffolding. This has resulted in serious injury, and consequently, OSHA a federal regulatory and safety agency, has imposed new regulations on the industry that require suitable safety rails be installed on the scaffolding to obstruct the open spaces between the cross bracing.
However, because of the guard rail constructions provided heretofore in the art, installation of safety rails is oftentimes difficult, time consuming and frustrating because of typical, minor dimensional variations in scaffold constructions. Consequently it is common that workmen simply ignore the installation of safety guard rails, despite the federal requirements for their installation.